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Ronaldo demands lifetime bans over Jota chants
Confirmed
In Short: Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo has called for lifetime bans for fans who chanted the name of his late teammate Diogo Jota at Ruben Neves during a Saudi Pro League match on Saturday.
Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo has called for lifetime bans for fans who chanted the name of his late teammate Diogo Jota at Ruben Neves during a Saudi Pro League match on Saturday. The chants, which were aimed at Neves, who was a close friend of Jota, occurred during Al-Hilal's 6-0 victory over Al-Taawoun in Buraydah, Saudi Arabia.
Jota, a 28-year-old forward, tragically died in a car crash in Zamora, Spain, alongside his brother André Silva in July 2025. Neves, who was Jota's teammate at Wolverhampton Wanderers and the Portuguese national team, was deeply affected by the incident and carried Jota's coffin at his funeral.
Ronaldo, who plays for Al-Nassr and was also a teammate of Jota and Neves, expressed his outrage on social media, stating, 'The league must take action and punish this kind of fan behavior.' He added, 'This is no longer football, and there have to be limits.
Following the match, Neves addressed the incident, saying, 'I just hope they don’t go to pray later.' He emphasized the close bond between him and Jota, stating, 'When I go to the selection, you’ll still be next to me at the dinner table, on the bus, on the plane… you’ll always be there with me as always. Jota!
The chants were widely circulated on social media, with footage showing supporters repeatedly shouting 'Jota' at Neves during the free-kick. Neves, who was standing close to the supporters, appeared visibly uncomfortable and stressed by the incident.
Rúben Neves, who was close to Jota and a pallbearer at his funeral, has been deeply affected by the chants. He expressed his frustration, saying, 'This is no longer football, and there have to be limits.' His teammate and former Portugal international, Ronaldo, echoed these sentiments, calling for immediate action from the league.
What's confirmed
- Cristiano Ronaldo plays for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League and was a Portugal team-mate of the late Diogo Jota Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo has called for lifetime bans to be issued to fans who chanted the late Diogo Jota's name towards his international team-mate Ruben Neves.
- "The league must take action and punish this kind of fan behaviour," forward Ronaldo, who also plays in the Saudi league for Al-Nassr, wrote on social media.
What's still developing
- He revealed last year that he had a tattoo etched onto his leg depicting him embracing Jota, a lasting tribute to their bond.
- Writing on Instagram on Sunday, Ronaldo declared: Neves himself addressed the incident briefly as he moved through the post-match mixed zone after Al-Hilal's dominant 6-0 victory.
- Roberto Martinez, then head coach, said Neves had a very close relationship with Jota and was the ideal person to represent him.
- Neves and Jota were born four months apart and grew up in the game together — Portugal's youth sides, then Porto, then a joint move to Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Championship in July 2017.
- Neves carries a tattoo on his left calf of the pair embracing, and was a pallbearer at Jota's funeral.